Friday 16 September 2011

Variations from a theme

A look at some of the non standard Blackpool bus liveries 
1979 saw two Swifts (581/2) painted in an experimental scheme with a green roof on the off-white body. Subsequent repaints received a green waistband too and 581/2 were modified to match in 1981

The PD3s had retained their plain cream or off-white scheme some time after the Atlanteans and Swifts had introduced more green. Unusually the oldest PD3, 390, was selected for this experimental scheme and it returned to use in April 1982 but was withdrawn in June 1983

540 was then repainted without the green lower window surrounds and 512 (as shown) without both the lower and upper schemes. 540 returned to use and was chosen as the standard livery so 512 returned to the paint shop to receive green upper window surrounds before in May 1982

Atlanteans 308 and 313 received green skirts on standard livery in 1984 - this was not adopted except for five sisters as part of a promotional livery for Service 6.


The last two Atlanteans, coach seated 363 and 364 arrived in this non standard livery and retained it until late 1988 when they received the then standard livery


 
The second batch of Routemasters, including 531, 527 and 529 here, carried a simplified version of the lined red and white livery for the 1988 season. They are seen in the bus compound on the day before the launch of Beachromer 55

Blackpool sold Atlanteans 317-321 to a new operator North Birmingham Buses in 1994. NBB duly adopted the Blackpool colour scheme with minor variations and in 2004 321 returned to Blackpool for display at a depot open day. The main difference is a green band below the lower deck windows